Retail in Donegal

Senna

Just looking for peoples opinions on shopping in Donegal compared to going into the north.
I would like to think i support local business as much as possible, but the difference is so huge that for big purchases like TV's, furniture etc, i would hardly even look in more than 1 or 2 local shops before just heading into the north. The difference is just so big. If the exchanges rates continue to drop, i would say i'll start getting our weekly shopping in the north as well.

What about other people, do you do much shopping in the north?
Have Donegal retailers been milking the cow dry for the last few years and now they are reaping what they sow? or has the wages just went up so high that we just cant compete.

muffler

She who must be obeyed does her weekly shopping in Strabane but there is always the bread, milk, the half pound of ham etc that is bought locally. I have no problem at all in doing this.

I see products in the local shops that are being bought in "cash & carry" outlets in NI. but the savings aren't being passed on to the customer.

I see bread from a Donegal bakery being sold at almost 1 euro cheaper in Strabane than it is locally yet it originates from the same bakery and most likely delivered by the same van/lorry.

I see nothing but greed here locally and then these same business people expect us to support them.

When they support me by reducing their profit margins then I will support them

Senna

I'd say January will be a telling month, from what i seen all retailers took a hammering over xmas and if there is a large margin then they will have to cut their profits right down or go out of business.

I would think Donegal is probably more sensitive to price differences seen most Donegal people are used to heading over the border for one thing or the other. When i was younger my father used to drive over to strabane every sat morning to fill up the car with petrol and when i was in college i would have drove over to get cheap drink every time there was a party on.

shiibata

muffler wrote: »

She who must be obeyed does her weekly shopping in Strabane but there is always the bread, milk, the half pound of ham etc that is bought locally. I have no problem at all in doing this.

On the same boat as Muffler on this topic, Strabane gets a weekly visit and the local for the everyday odd bits, our local shop does ok considering it would have a 7 mile radius with no other decent shop about.

Permabear

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smashey

Senna wrote: »

Have Donegal retailers been milking the cow dry for the last few years and now they are reaping what they sow?

Here's a wee story for you.

I buy a pack of chewing gum every day and usually get it from wherever is handiest. Last Summer, I was in a petrol station in Letterkenny and went to buy a packet. The guy scanned it in and the price came up as 75c. I said to him "75c for a packet of chewing gum? You can keep it". Most people would think so what? as it's only 75c. Well I knew that the recommended retail price for the gum at that time was 53c so that was a profit straight of the top of 22c per packet. Shops like that would have no problem in selling 1000 packets a week so with some quick maths, that's €220 per week handy profit or €11440 per year on chewing gum alone.

Thieving bastards.

/sits back and waits to be called a tight fecker.

donegalman1

Lots of stores apparently on the way out in early 2009, especially in Letterkenny.

Can I put one misconception to bed tho.... the Minimum wage is a hell of a lot lower in France, Spain etc etc, though the UK multiples have the same Euro Prices on Clothes etc in many of these countries too.

Having said that, retailers here operated at big profits, terrible customer service and product knowledge.

They had it great for a long time the other way with NI customers and hit us locals hard too, so its hard to listen to their pleas now.

Not everyone in Derry give great Value for Money either, in Foyleside today O'Briens were charging 20% on Euro, daylight robbery.

irish1967

Five pack of Chewing Gum £1.34 in a large store in Strabane

Just saw a 'great' deal in Supervalu in Donegal Town this evening Pringles €2.63 buy one get one free.. think I will still pop into a large store in Strabane and buy them for 73p.

I would really love to have it explained to me how items here can be TWICE the price... is it just plain greed or is there an expense I cannot see?

foxshooter243

I myself wouldnt have much sympathy for donegal retailers, as a few i know are whingeing about the exodus of shoppers to northern ireland, and how they arent getting support from the locals...I was later to discover that their wives did the xmas shopping in the north ,and bought the toys from northern toy shops!..what is it about shopkeepers that think they must become millionaires after a year in business?..I could go on as through doing holiday work during college years I seen at first hand some of the horrendous mark ups on their goods...hows about a battery bought for 25 cents that retailed at 8 euro!....a bunch of shylocks one and all:(

muffler

I see my local grocery store charges 60 cents for a little fudge bar (and yes it was bought in NI). You can buy a 6 pack of these in Asda, Strabane for 73 pence which is less than 80 cents.

Senna

Halfords in Letterkenny are advertising 40% allowance on sterling still. Basically there saying that their prices in euro are 40% dearer (than £) and rather than reduce prices they just continue to give the large discount for £ (a shop assistant said this) and screw people paying in euro. A friend of mine when to buy a bicycle and seen the sign of 40%. So he when up to the bank, got his euro changed to £ and saved €80 on the cost of one bike.

I'd say large uk based companies like this (not necessary halfords) will just pull out of Ireland when sales drop rather than drop prices.

donegalgirl28

I went into ASDA on Christmas Eve with my Dad as I got off the bus in Strabane (instead of Lifford). Went in and the amount of stuff selling for 10p! Yeah I know they were trying to get rid of the stock before they're sell by date but this was like a £2.38 product down for 10p just cos it was about to expire 3 days later! You would never see that in Ireland. No way would you! We stocked up on a load of Markies for dogs cos each box was 99p compared to nearly €3 at home.

You can tell the difference in everything! Clothes, food etc.... I'd still buy milk, bread and meat from the local butchers and Mace / SV.

ednwireland

went into asda on my back from the uk on the 30th bought tons of spirits silly prices compared to here i guess a lot of that is duty i am looking at buying a secondhand car and the prices down here are crazy compared to the north ( even whn you take into account the vrt and slight stg difference (30- 50% advertised price differential) i dont know what retailers down here have to do but i doubt it going to be pretty. i was at my parents and the local was selling draft beer at £2.05 a pint and everyone was saying how the pubs are dying cos beers too expensive

dmcg90

Does anyone find the Letterkenny Posts view on retail in Donegal absolutely ridiculous?

Permabear

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